Water-softening apparatus



March 12, 1929. E, A. ROBERTSON 1,704,925

WATER SOFTENING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 27, 1927 Fig. 1.

mm er 5 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 12, 1929.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

1 EDWIN A. ROBERTSON, or LAKE WAWASEE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE PERMUTIT COMPANY, or NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORlEORATION or DELAWARE.

WATER-SOFTENING APPARATUS.

'My invention relates to means for observing the height of the salt bed in the brine tank of a zeolite water softener.

In a pressure system zeolite water softening apparatus the top of the brine tank is closed and some means must be provided for indicating the quantity of salt in the.

tank at all times. Enough salt should always be kept in the brine tank to ensure the delivery'ot saturated brine-to the bed of zeolites in the water softening tank whenever regeneration is necessary. All of the various forms of gauges have been found useless because they clo ged with salt or corroded and became 'un ependable.

The principalobjectof this,invention is to provide a window of such construction and so placed as to enable anyone observing the brine tank to see whether-the salt bed i has fallen below the window or its top is above the window or opposite some oint of it. When lookin salt will show su" stantially white and the brine substantially black.

Another object of my invention is to so form the window as to cause it.to automatically clear itself of salt when the top of the salt bed falls below it or any art of it.

My invention is illustrated in't e accom-- panying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an automatic water softening apparatus of th pressure type;

Fig. 2, an 'elevat1on,,.is an enlarged detail of the window, shown at right angles to the through the win ow the convex glass window 0 formed with an annular shoulder 0 adapted to rest upon the gasket G and held securely in place by gaskets G a washer W and cap screws 8. The wlndow is preferably located at such a height as would equal the height'of the bed of salt desirable. to maintain a body of saturated brine in the tank.

It will be noted that the convex bulging portlon of the window 0 rotrudes into the brine tank so that it wil automaticall be cleared of adhering salt as the height 0 the salt in the tank lowers, so that at all times 1t can be determined by looking through the window whether salt, brine, or part salt and part brine are in line with the window.

A window could bemade of a plano-convex glass but the concavo-convex form shown 1n t e drawing is preferred as a cheap pressed glass window will answer the purpose if of such thickness as to be readily seen through.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. Incombination with the brine tank of V a zeolit' water softener, an opening in the side of said tank at substantlally the salt bed height required to ensure saturated brine in said tank, a transparent window bulgin inwardly beyond the inner surface of sai tank throu h said opening into said tank, and means for holding and window in position over said op'ning and close the same.

2. In combination with the brine tank of a zeolite water softener, an opening in the side of said tank at substantiallythe salt bed hei ht required to ensure saturated brine in sai tank, a transparent window made concavo-convex with a clamping rim and placed so as to bulge inwardly beyond the inner surface of said tank through said opening and close the same,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my, hand.

EDWIN A. ROBERTSON. 

